Sadler, a four-year starter and the first four-time academic All-American in Michigan State history, and Nebraska punter Sam Foltz were in the news last month for the most tragic of reasons.

After a kicking camp in which they served as instructors, the 24-year-old Sadler and Foltz, a 22-year-old senior who led the Big Ten in punting last season, died in a single-car crash in Wisconsin on July 23.

Niswander nearly attended the camp, but opted for another in the Chicago area that weekend. Influenced by both Sadler and Foltz for different reasons, he came up with a way to honor them.

"I thought all the punters in the Big Ten probably knew them one way or another, and a lot of the punters were at that camp," Niswander said. "I decided to create a (Facebook) group and send out a message to all the other punters."

"All the Big Ten punters, we are going to write, 'RIP MS' on our left (shoe) because Mike was a lefty and 'RIP SF' on our right because Sam was righty," Niswander said. "Everyone was all in. It was a little something we could do to honor them.

"We wanted to make sure they are remembered because they were two unbelievable guys on the field and off the field. I think it is cool to come together through rivalries and through competition and say these guys need to be remembered."

College punters have their own fraternity, a group whose members are more likely to refer to themselves as specialists than football players.

Sure, they play an important role on their team, but they don't always feel connected the way offensive and defensive players do.

In his final Facebook post, Sadler announced his plans to attend Stanford's law school in the fall, finishing his message by writing: "We did it, Mom."

Foltz, who averaged 44.2 yards per punt as a junior, was an NFL prospect.

"The way he got up through the ball was remarkable," said Niswander, who had a 42.8-yard average last season. "He was my motivation this offseason. He was the best in the league. … I definitely think he was going to the NFL."